Description: Le Cafe des Deux Moulins was made famous by the 2001 French film Amelie starring Audrey Tatou and is located on Rue Lepic in the Montmatre district of Paris. Its name, which literally means ‘the cafe of the two windmills’, comes from its location between two famous windmills; the Moulin Rouge and the Moulin De La Galette. It’s a fabulous restaurant and bar with plenty of atmosphere and real Parisian charm, demonstrated by its popularity with the locals.
Since its starring role as Amelie’s place of work in the film, it has undergone a minor face lift, which has resulted in various portraits of Audrey Tatou and promotional posters from the film being hung around the establishment. Despite this claim to fame and the associated tourist traffic, the restaurant remains a great little place to relax, have a drink and enjoy the ambience that the Montmatre district is famous for.
You have the choice of dining outside, where you can sit under heated lamps in winter and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the local shops, or inside, where there is a choice of restaurant and bar tables. Wherever you sit, the food and drinks menu is the same and offers a selection of snacks, meals, coffees and alcoholic drinks.
The interior of the restaurant is somewhat reminiscent of an American diner, but with a stylish French twist. The tables, in true Parisian style, are squeezed in together in a cramped but cosy fashion. There are no covers on the tables, but if and when (and you definitely should) order food, the cheery and efficient waiting staff will adorn your table with a paper cover that features the doodles and pictures of Audrey Tatou’s character. It makes a pretty funky souvenir, but don’t worry if you spill, they will give you a fresh cover to take away.
Whilst many go in Deux Moulins just for a drink, the food, like I said, is definitely worth trying. The menu is in French and they don’t offer an English version (always a promising sign, I think!), but the staff will be more than happy to help you if you need it. The menu is concise but comprehensive – you can have snacks to go with your drinks, or you can have a meal from the set menu, which includes steaks, burgers and so on.
If you are just going for a drink, I strongly urge you to accompany it with one of their platters. You can have fromage (cheese), charcuterie (meat) or mixte (you guessed it; it’s a combination of the two). Each of the platters is priced around 10 Euros and comes with salad, bread, pate and pickles and they are all great for sharing. The food from the main menu is faultless; our party had a mixture of things and we were all very pleased and satisfied. Particularly good was the steak with a trio of house butters – my mouth is watering just writing about it!
The drinks menu is extensive as well and features a wide selection of cocktails, ranging from the old favourites to some imaginative new inventions of the staff. There is a happy hour which, oddly enough, goes from 6pm until 10pm and offers all large beers and cocktails for 3 Euros 90. This does sound expensive, but believe me is a bargain in a city where you can, and will, pay upwards of 5 Euros for a small beer.
Overall I would say that it’s definitely worth visiting this cafe if you are in Paris, because the atmosphere is wonderful and, fortunately, hasn’t been ruined by the tourist connections. The staff are fantastic and the food is as good as you will get anywhere, if not better.
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